Day Thirty-Six: Chugging on to Chamberlain

I left this morning as passenger in the water van with Casey driving on my left and Doug in the back. It was still early, the sun had yet to rise and the sky had only just begun to lighten. Under the faded purple sky we chalked the route ahead. It was a boring one, flat land through South Dakota, dotted with power lines running over open fields of grain and corn.

That's the teams mascot on the right, a stuffed bear donated by Mary from That Place in Utica

The morning fog had me slightly concerned for the riders' safety, but the fog soon dissipated, ushered away by the rising sun:



As the day dragged on and the heat came upon us swiftly we turned our efforts to securing ice water. Ice water has become a necessity on these excessively hot days. The lack of shade along the route made ice even more a priority. Unfortunately, no places were open until later, and the first water stop remained ice less. After all, it was a Sunday morning in the middle of rural SD.



But the riders trudged on and were soon rewarded by entering the charming city of Chamberlain, SD. The city is situated on the Missouri River and offered some  fantastic views, which were greatly welcomed after the long, flat roads:



Of course, where there is water Team Seattle must swim, so we stopped on the beach after checking in at the host. Check out the riverfront:



I'm glad that I got van duty out of the way for another week, and that everyone had I great day overall. We even had a filling lunch, dinner, and showers. There's not much more you can ask for--except for a good night's sleep. So with that, goodnight.

Sleepy by the Missouri,
James

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Today's efforts were dedicated to the Erickson family.